This latest remix comes to us from Reuben Kee, who is becoming a regular on AR, known for his emotional, flowing piano pieces. This mix doesn't disappoint, with a premise that is conservative and original at the same time. Reuben has strung together a series of themes from Rurouni Kenshin into a narrative medley of the Wandering Samurai's tale. Let's see what he had to say about it:
"Here's a medley of several memorable themes. Starting with a piano solo, then finally unfolding into piano duet and quartet pieces. This was recorded live on each line with several takes."
As usual, Reuben's piano playing is flawless, filled with emotion. However, the most interesting thing about this remix is how it transitions from theme to theme. Some of the transitions are seamless, flowing into the next section so smoothly that you wouldn't notice the change. The others are abrupt, intentionally. As Reuben puts it:
"When it does transition, chances are you probably didn't notice. When Noriyuki compiled his tunes for any medley or directors cut there were very clear cuts and pauses between themes sometimes. I felt that this helped very much to maintain the purity of the melodies as well as give the listener some breathing space, or help him anticipate the next theme."
So what we have here is a narrative retelling of the Kenshin tale, through Reuben's musical interpretation. Having covered one of the songs used and having a good knowledge of the Kenshin soundtrack, I know that the songs themselves aren't really 'arranged'; in fact, they are pretty similar to the original soundtrack. Still, this arrangement patches them together into a new tale that you can listen to for hours.
An excellent, emotion driven work from Reuben who, with each new song, adds another quality feather to his Anime Remix cap.
PS: Thanks for the creative title. I love the FF8 spin.
-Mythril Nazgul
